Vehicle for mixed propulsion by wheels and endless tracks



May 16, 1939- A. KEGRESSE 2,158,457

VEHICLE FOR MIXED PROPULSION BY WHEELS AND ENDLESS TRACKS Filed May 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/Yl/E/YTOQ ADOLJPHE Ks GRESSE sy 4,3 m5

y 1939- A. KEGRESSE 2,158,457

VEHICLE FOR MIXED PROPULSION BY WHEELS AND ENDLESS TRACKS Filed May 27, 1937 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 $4 /m z/yro/a A- KEGRESSE Patented May 16, 1939 2,158,45?

UNITED STATES FATE? GFFEQE VEHICLE FOR MIXED PROPULSION BY WHEELS AND ENDLESS TRACKS Adolphe Kgresse, Paris, France Application May 27, 1937, Serial, No. 145,140 In France June 2, 1936 Claims. (01. 1809.1)

The endeavour to increase the output of veendless tracks; control of the raising of the carhlcles called upon to move both over rough ground rier train, in combination With the loose pulas also upon roads has led the inventors to deleys so as to increase the distance between the sign machines for combined propulsion by wheels axles of the wheels carrying the endless band,

and endl s t ack thus raising from the ground the lower loop of '5 Hitherto the devices carried out consisted the band when running on roads nd. his Wit out either in adding a train of endless tracks to the increasing the space taken up in height.

rear motive wheels, retaining the front directing The drawings show an example of carrying wheels, or in substituting for the four wheels of out the invention.

n the vehicle a complete train of endless tracks, In these gSI 10 thus transforming a vehicle simply with wheels Figure 1 is a view in elevation, the frame being into a vehicle simply with endless tracks. partially removed for the clearness of the draw- If the first of these solutions is satisfactory for grunning on roads it is not completely so for rough gu 2 s a p ew of the machine. 35 ground where it does not ensure full adhesion. Figure 3 Shows, On a larger c e a d in e1e 5 The second solution gives a vehicle with comvation, the design of the single carrier axle and plete adhesion on rough ground but for running its connection on the one hand with the chassis on roads it is handicapped with respect to the and the mechanism for controlling the lifting, foregoing system by the fact of its greater weight. and the other hand with the loose pulleys of the Furthermore, it presents the very grave inconendless track. 20 Venience of being of greater complexity and of a Fi re 4 h w h m device n in p n prohibitive cost price. and in partial section.

In the known systems of first category, makers Figure 5 is a partial section on the line 5-5 have been content to substitute or add a train of Figure 3.

of endless tracks for the motive wheels of an Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fi 25 automobile, the front wheels simply ensuring the ure 3. steering. There is thus obtained a vehicle of Figure 7 shows in section a mechanism for the the type known by the name auto-endless control of the lifting. track, with partial adhesion. As shown by Figures 1 and 2 if the train of Departing from this idea, the present invention endless tracks to is removed there is left an or- 30 relates to a vehicle which, like the preceding one dinary automobile chassis with front drive. This is for part propulsion on roads, where it is machine comprises a chassis I of a form suitable recognized as sufficiently good, but for total proto the requirements. The motor 2 transmits its pulsion for rough ground. power to the special change-speed gear-box 3 To this end and contrary to what has been provided with a reducing gear represented by its hitherto effective the propulsion on the road is casing 4 which, when the coupling of the endless efiected by the front wheels, the rear wheels betrack motor axle occurs, provides for the reing simply carriers; on rough ground the production of speed necessary for the front driving pulsive apparatus is constituted by the front Wheels for running on rough ground. Wheels and rear endless tracks, thus giving a The change-speed gear-box 3 comprises fur- 40 vehicle with complete adhesion. thermore a driving member 5 (Figures 1 and 2) A special mechanism permits of raising the serving to control, by means of a shaft 6, the liftrear carrier wheels, thus counteracting their efing mechanism indicated diagrammatically at feet and replacing them automatically by motive l on Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the section of which 5 endless tracks, the propulsion by the front wheels is shown by Figure 7. still persisting, so that for running on rough The speed reducer drives, either directly at a ground there is obtained a vehicle with total high speed, the differential 8 of the front driving propulsion. axle, or, through the intermediary of a suitable In addition to this fundamental characteristic train of reducing gears, the differential 8 and the invention comprises novel designs of imthe motive axle 9 of the endless track.

portant details such as mechanism for the dis- The endless track train is of usual type. It tribution of the load over the rear wheels and the has a driving pulley iii, a loose pulley H and a motive. endless tracks by means of a single axle set of rollers lZ-four rollers in the example connected elastically to the chassis; independshown-connected in pairs by equalizer levers once of the rear wheels as also of the trains of i3 which levers are pivotally connected to the 55 ends of a main equalizer lever I5 which is carried by the endless track supporting journal i i.

The rear wheels l6 are idle and are freely mounted on a journal ll'.

It has been seen that these wheels 15 are only carrier Wheels when on the road; on rough ground they are lifted and have no longer any action on the running of the vehicle.

The two journals l4 and I! (endless track journal and wheel journal) are integral with a common part or rocking lever i 8 the hub 59 of which (Figure 4) is freely mounted on a carrier axle 2t. This axle 28 is connected to the chassis i through the intermediary of two leaf springs 2| arranged at each of its extremities. These springs are mounted on the axle 20 by means of the supporting parts 22, the head of which is adjusted with slight friction on the hub is of the rocking lever 13.

The carrier axle 20 furthermore has permanently locked thereon and close to each of its extremities, a three-branch lever 23, 2 3, 25 (Figures 3 and i) and at one of its extremities only, a lever 25 (Figures 3 and i) also integral with the said axle. The lever 26 is actuated by a connecting rod 2'! the other extremity of which is mounted on a lever 23 forming part of the lifting mechanism represented diagrammatically on Fi ure 7.

The arm 25 of each of the three branch levers 23, 24, 25 is connected to a sliding axle 29 by means of a connecting rod 3B fixed on the axle 23. This axle 29 has close to one of its extremities a plate sector 31 (Figures 3 and 5) provided with holes along its curved edge. The axle 29 has a lever 32 (Figs. 3 and 5) mounted loosely on each end thereof. Each lever 32 carries a journal 33 serving as an axle for the corresponding rear idle pulley of the endless track. Rigidly fixed to each end of the axle 29 is a sector plate 3i provided with a plurality of holes Sla. The lower end of the lever 32 terminates in a handle 3 which serves as a means for shifting said lever :52 over said sector plate. The lever 32 is provided with a hole 35 adjacent the handle thereof adapted to register with the series of holes 3m in the sector plate. After the lever 32 is shifted to a desired position, a bolt (not shown) is passed through hole 35 and a registering hole 39a to securely look the lever 32 to said sector plate. It will be realized that as the lever 32 is displaced over the sector plate, the relative distance between the fixed pulley and the idle pulley carried on the journal 33 will be varied. The axle 29 is supported at each extremity by a part 35 secured to frame I and provided with downwardly extending bolts 3611 on which are positioned spacers 36b for spacing a. guide bar 36c from the part 36. The space between parts 36 and 360 serves as a straight slide 36d in which the axle 29 can slide.

Each journal M of the carrier trains is extended on the inner side by an integral trunnion 31 connected to or forming part of the rocking lever l8 (Figures 2, 4 and 6). The journal ll of each wheel is also extended by a similar trunnion 38, also connected and forming part of the rocking lever l8 (Figure 4).

The trunnion 31' is intended to be supported in a part 39, hinged at 39a on the chassis (Figures 3 and 6), and the trunnion 38 can be supported by a similar part 45, also hinged at lilo; to the chassis in order to allow oscillation of the trunnions 31, 38 in the bearings formed between the lower end of member 39 and the end of lever amass? 26 for trunnion 3i and formed between the lower end of member iii and the end of lever 23 for trunnion 38.

The lifting system represented in section on Figure 7, receives its movement from the changespeed gear-box through the intermediary of the shaft 5, which drives a splined shaft ii, the latter carries a runner 12 which can engage with the pinion itself integral with another pinion i l which engages with a wheel 35, fixed on a screw 16 of suitable pitch. A nut ll is threadedly mounted on screw 46 and is adapted to be shifted by said screw axially of the latter. Two stub shafts d3 extend from opposite sides of the nut 47 and loosely carry blocks 59 which are slidably positioned between the bifurcations of the end of lever 55 which is fixed to the shaft 59 for rocking the latter. Lever 28 is also fixed to shaft 5! and serves to transmit motion from shaft iii to the link 2?.

The sliding collar 2 can be placed in engagement with another pinion 52 which also controls the pinion 63.

It is seen that according to the position of the sliding collar either on the wheel 63 or on the wheel iii there will be obtained the rotation of the screw d6 in the two directions, thus giving as desired a reciprocating movement to the levers 5t and 2G keyed on the same axle and, through the intermediary of the connecting rod 2?, with the lever 26. The latter by its movement will actuate the three-branch lever 23, 2 1, E5 integral like itself with the axle 2i Figures 3, 4 and 6 represent the mechanism of the carrier axle 2t and of the journals of the wheels and endless track. the machine resting on its wheels. The trunnion 3? of the journal it bears in the hinged part 39, in which it is maintained by arm of the three-branch lever 23, 2d, 25.

In this position the weight of the vehicle will be transmitted to the wheels it through the intermediation of the suspension springs ill, the support 22, the axle iii, the rocking lever i8 and finally the wheel journal ii. The rod 3t connecting the arm 25 with the axle 28 will have displaced the sliding axle it of the idle endless track pulleys to the right, to bring it into the end position corresponding to the raising of the endless tracks, shown in full lines on Figures 1, i

2 and 3.

If now the lifting system "i is operated to bring the lever 28 into its opposite position, the lever 28 being fixed to axle 2:) will rock said shaft and the three-branch lever 25 also being fixed to axle 2i} will oscillate with said axle 253, disengaging the arm 2% from the trunnion 3?.

On assuming the extreme position, opposite to that of Figures 1, 2 and 3 the three-branch lever will be rocked in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in said figures and the arm 23 thereof will raise the trunnion 33 of the journal i? of wheel iii to set it on the hinged part The arm 25, through the intermediary of the connecting rod will move the axle 28 supporting the idle pulley, with which it is integral, to the left, thus loosening the endless track la so that the carrier train can be lowered by displacement of the three-branch lever to assume the position shown dotted on the Figure l, which is the normal position of running when driven by the endless track.

As will be seen, the wheel it will thus be raised, interfering in no Way with the operation of the endless band drive.

Through an appropriate linkage, the speed reducer 4 is set in action when the vehicle 1 is to be driven by endless tracks and brings about a suitable reduction in speed of the front wheels. The propulsion of the machine will thus be complete, by wheels in front and by endless track at the rear.

If necessary it would be easy to take off the wheels I6, to obtain a vehicle of the auto-endless track type, but with total adhesion.

The regulation of the tension of the endless band will be ensured, independently of the sliding of the axis 29 by the rearward oscillation about the axis 29 of the journal 33 integral with the part 32. A simple bolt, introduced into the hole 35 will permit of fixing the part 32 at the desired position to obtain the tension which is suitable of the endless band. The handle 34 will serve to facilitate the manipulation of this tension.

It will be noted that the replacement, at the rear of the vehicle, of the idle carrier wheels, by the train of driving endless tracks, modifies the distribution of the load in the sense desired,

' that is to say, that it is greater on the train of endless tracks than on the carrier wheels. This variation of the load will be all the greater the longer are the arms of the rocking lever (Figures 1, 3 and 4). These arms represented approximately equal on the figures may naturally be of difierent lengths according to the uses intended.

Furthermore, the particular mounting described of the journals of the train of endless track carrier system and of the journals of the rear carrier wheels, integral with a rocking lever hinged on a single axle, connected elastically to the chassis, reduces the vertical stroke of this axle with respect to that of the system in operation, whence reduction of the oscillations of the elastic system in a direct ratio with the length of the lever arm of the oscillatory rocking lever, both for the train of wheels as also for the endless track train.

Furthermore, the mounting described ensures the independence of the carrier wheels when the stoppage of the vehicle is on its wheels and the independence of the carrier trains of the endless track system when this is operating. This independence is obtained by the free oscillation of each of the rocking levers l8 which carry journals, on the axle 20, whatever may be the system in contact with the ground.

The important advantage presented by the mounting of one of the carrier pulleys of the endless band on an axle sliding automatically with the lifting system is in the fact that it is only the lower loop of the endless band which is raised for running on roads, thus limiting the space taken up in height and which is very troublesome for designing the carriage work of any kind with which this class of vehicle is equipped. It is known in fact that similar machines in which it is the whole endless track train which lifts, or at least the two lower and upper loops, of the endless track which are shifted in height, increasing by so much in this direction the waste space.

It is quite evident that the system described, here applied to the idle pulleys carrying the endless band could equally well apply to the driving pulleys. It would in this case be sufiicient to make the driving axle either sliding, or oscillating or to connect it either directly to the lifting system or to an axis or idle controlled thereby.

It would also be possible by making use of the invention to act at the same time on the two pulleys, the driving and the idle ones, supporting the endless band. It would be sufficient for this purpose to make the axles of these two pulleys to slide and to connect them by connecting rods to a rotating axis controlled by the lifting system.

These embodiments are within the reach of any expert knowing the invention described.

It will be also noted that the regulation of the tension of each endless band is ensured independently of the sliding of the axis 29 connecting the two idle pulleys, by a simple manipulation, which consists in shifting a bolt in holes, acting, to effect this, on a handle which may be extended by means of a simple tube forming a lever.

I claim:

1. A high speed front wheel steered vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, comprising a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels always in steering and driving contact with the ground, an oscillating suspended rear axle, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journa at one end of said levers, and endless track-em gaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers.

2. In a high speed vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels, an endless track on each side of the chassis, front and rear pulleys supporting said track, said pulleys being fixed against vertical movement, an oscillating suspended rear axle located between the axes of said front and rear pulleys, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, and endless trackengaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers and positioned between said front and rear pulleys.

3. In a high speed vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels, an oscillating suspended rear axle, an endless track on each side of the chassis, front and rear pulleys supporting said track, said pulleys being fixed against vertical movement, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, endless traclnengaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers, a driving motor, and a transmission for driving the front wheels of the ve hicle and one pulley of each endless track.

4. In a high speed vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels, an oscillating suspended rear axle, an endless track on each side of the chassis, front and rear pulleys supporting said track, said pulleys being fixed against vertical movement, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, endless track-engaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers, a driving motor, and a transmission for driving the front wheels of the vehicle and the one pulley of each endless track, said transmission comprising means for disconnecting the drive to said endless track pulleys.

5. In a high speed vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels, an oscillating suspended rear axle, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, endless tracl -engaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers, a second double-armed lever mounted on said axle adjacent each end thereof, an upwardly opening semi-bearing carried at each end of the arms of said second levers, and downwardly opening semi-bearings carried by the chassis adjacent the rear thereof and positioned to cooperate with the semi-bearings carried by the levers to grip and surround either the journals of the rear wheels or the journals of the endless track bogies for supporting the rear portion of said chassis on either of said journals.

6. In a high speed vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels, an oscillating suspended rear axle, an endless track on each side of the chassis, front and rear pulleys supporting said track, said pulleys being fixed against vertical movement, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, endless tracle engaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers, and a shaft loosely carrying said rear pulleys and being mounted for sliding in a direction longitudinally of the chassis. 7. In a high speed vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels, an oscillating suspended rear axle, and endless track on each side of the chassis, front and rear pulleys supporting said track, said pulleys being fixed against vertical movement, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending for-- wardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, endless track-engaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers, a shaft loosely carrying said rear pulleys and being mounted for sliding in a direction longitudinally of the chassis, crank arms on said rear axle, and links connecting said crank arms to the shaft of said rear pulleys for sliding said rear pulleys toward and away from the forward endless track pulleys.

8. In a high speed vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels, an oscillating suspended rear axle, an endless track on each side of the chassis, front and rear pulleys supporting said track, said pulleys being fixed against vertical movement, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, endless track-engaging roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers, oscillating levers mounted on the chassis for supporting the rear endless track pulleys, and means for fixing said levers in adjusted positions to vary the tension of the endless tracks.

9. A high speed front wheel steered vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, comprising a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels always in steering and driving contact with the ground, an oscillating suspended rear axle, rear groundengaging wheels carried by said rear axle, endless track-engaging roller bogies carried by said rear axle, means for shifting said endless tracks into driving engagement with the ground, and means for transmitting driving motion to the endless tracks when they are in driving engagement with the ground and to the front driv- 1 ing and steering wheels both when the endless track is in driving engagement with the ground and when it is out of driving engagement with the ground.

10. A high speed front wheel steered vehicle adapted to be driven by ground wheels and endless tracks, comprising a chassis, a pair of front steering and driving ground wheels always in steering and driving contact with the ground, an oscillating suspended rear axle, levers mounted on said rear axle having arms extending forwardly and rearwardly from said rear axle, journals mounted at the ends of said levers, rear ground-engaging wheels carried by the journals at one end of said levers, endless track-engaging a roller bogies carried by the journals at the other end of said levers, means for shifting said endless tracks into driving engagement with the ground, and means for transmitting driving motion to the endless tracks when they are in driving engagement with the ground and to the front driving and steering wheels both when the endless track is in driving engagement with the ground and when. it is out of driving engagement with the ground.

ADOLPHE KE'GREssE. 

